Snack Food Rewind: A History of Our Favorite Treats

Did you know the Oreo was invented in 1912 in the same New York City building that now houses the Food Network? Or that the sweet refreshing drink, Kool-Aid used to be spelled, Kool-Ade? It's about time you got a history lesson on these all-American snacks, some of which are nearly a century old.

Oreo

Oreo

Year It Began: 1912

Bite of History: This dunkable delight debuted in the spring of 1912 by the National Biscuit Company (now known as Nabisco and owned by Kraft). But it wasn't a stand-alone offer. The Oreo was packaged as part of the Trio: the Mother Goose, the Veronese, and the Oreo Biscuit. It soon became clear that the Oreo was the star of the bunch, and the other two treats became a matter of historical record.

Various iterations of the Oreo were introduced over the last century, from a lemon-cream variety in the 1920s to Double and even Triple Stuf Oreos more recently. In 1921, Nabisco dropped the "Biscuit" from the name and changed it, more appropriately, to the "Oreo Sandwich." It morphed to the "Oreo Creme Sandwich" by 1948 and today, it's marketed as the "Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookie." Whatever Nabisco wants to name it, and however they want to jazz it up — Mini Oreos, Double Delight, Milk Chocolate Covered Mint Oreos — we'll always know them as "America's Favorite Cookie."

Fun Fact: Since its introduction, Nabisco has produced nearly 500 billion Oreos all around the world.

Cracker Jack

Cracker Jack

Year It Began: 1893

Bite of History: Chicagoans were the first to get a taste of the sweet and salty combination of peanuts, molasses, and popcorn at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. Lewis and Frederick William, aka F.W., Rueckheim were responsible for the treat, but not for its clever name. According to Frito-Lay, upon tasting the treat a salesman exclaimed, "That's cracker jack!" Being a shrewd businessman, F.W. trademarked the name and thus a brand was born. In order to maintain freshness they added a wax-sealed package, an invention of Henry Gottlieb Eckstein, who became co-owner in 1902.

A baseball game just wouldn't be the same without Cracker Jack, right? Well you can thank Jack Norworth who wrote the lyrics to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" in 1908. Cracker Jack was reported to be sold at ballgames as early as 1866 and at a Major League park in 1907.

In 1912 the company introduced tiny toys into every box. No doubt, Cracker Jack is good enough to eat even without the bonus tattoo or riddles, but we'd sure miss the fun of digging for the surprise.

Fun Fact: Why did the iconic sailor Jack become the brand's mascot? No factual evidence could be found, but it's said the seaman's pal pup, Bingo, was based on a stray dog named Russell who had been adopted by Eckstein.